RugbyU: Zanni Back While Polledri Gets First Italy Call

Alessandro Zanni is in line to earn his 100th cap for Italy and Jake Polledri received his first call as coach Conor O'Shea named his 34-man Six Nations training squad on Tuesday

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Jan, 2018 ) :Alessandro Zanni is in line to earn his 100th cap for Italy and Jake Polledri received his first call as coach Conor O'Shea named his 34-man Six Nations training squad on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old Zanni last played for Italy in the 2016 tournament but injuries have since prevented the Benetton flanker from adding to his 99 caps. He has been called up by O'Shea along with Gloucester flanker Jake Polledri, with Leonardo Sarto and Tommaso Allan also returning after being sidelined from the November Tests.

"The exciting aspect in this group is the number of options we are developing and the choices we now have available," said Irishman O'Shea. "We must continue to build depth and we are aware of having to improve, but we have made important progress compared to a year ago.

"I am aware that we will be judged on the results but we all know the level of play we will face and the challenges that await us in every game starting by playing the second and third best teams in the world rankings in the space of six days in the first two rounds." Italy -- who took the wooden spoon for a second straight time last year -- open against defending champions England on February 4 in the Stadio Olympico and then go to Ireland for the second round on February 10.

The 34-man squad will travel to Rome for a training camp, where they will be joined by young Benneton props Marco Riccioni and Cherif Traore, who will train with the squad. A final 31-man squad will be named after that training camp from January 21 to 24.